Roller-jack for vehicles.



A. C. HOPKINS.

ROLLER JACK FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2, 191a.

Patented. Oct. 1, 1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

3-; ginuzntoz ARTHURUHOPMNS;

A. C. HOPKINS.

ROLLER JACK FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAYZ. 191a.

Patent-ed Oct. 1, 1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Z wue wtoz @MTED TATE% P14 ARTHUR, C. HOPKINS, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIG-NOR TO MID-WEST MANU- FACTURIN'G COMPANY, OF SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA, A CORPORATION.

ROLLER-JACK FOR VEHICLES.

assume.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 1, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that ARTHUR C. HOPKINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Roller-Jacks for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in roller jacks for vehicles, particularly useful in connection with automobiles having appendages projecting rearwardly or forwardly of the axles, and has for one of its objects to provide a mounting for the hand lever which is comparatively remote from the movable standard. Another object is to provide such a construction that theoperation of elevating the standard will be complete by a single movement of a hand-lever. The invention includes the use of a movable plunger of wedge shape in contact with rollers for moving" the standard in one direction, particularly of advantage when lifting heavy loads, and also includes a frame and an operatingbar having angular forms so that they may be disposed closely adjacent to the floor. i

The novel features of the invention are fully described herein, and are pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein,

Figure 1 is a broken away view of a roller jack embodying my invention, parts being in section, and the hand-lever being lowered. Fig. 2 is a view of the same in longitudinal section, the hand-lever being elevated. Fig.3 is a plan view of the rollerjack. Fig. 4 is a view showing parts of the axle-member, standard and standard-extension in longitudinal section. Fig. 5 is a rear View of the standard, and Fig. 6 is a sideview of the same. 7

Referring now to the drawing for a more particular description, I provide an axlemember 7 upon its ends being journaled the pair of wheels 8, said axle-member being provided with a hollow part or aperture 9 opening on its front and rear sides, and being formed midway between its ends with a forwardly. projecting part a having an aperture 10 opening on its top and an aperture 11 opening on its bottom, said apertures 10 and 11 preferably being rectangular in plan, and each opening on the aperture 9. i i

The axle-member is further provided with a pair of rearwardly projecting, convergent arms 12 to provide a frame, said arms termimating in an arcuate foot-piece Z) which provides bearings for the pintle 13 of a caster l4, and it will be noted that the arms 12 for the greater part of their length are rectilinear, also that they are both disposed in the same plane closely adjacent to the floor, the caster and the inclined parts 0 of said arms being of such proportions that said arms will normally be disposed horizontally.

Mounted in the lower part of the axlemember 7 as best shown in Fig. 4, is abolt 15 which provides bearings for a roller 16. Numeral 17 indicates a standard, rectanlar in plan and provided at its upper end with teeth 18 for engaging a pawl 19. It is provided with a slot 20 opening on its front and back and lower end, and also is provided with a slot 21 opening on its sides and lower end. i

Numeral 22 indicates a roller disposed in the upper end of slot 20 of the standard, said roller having bearings on a pin 23, and it will be understood that the standard is mounted in apertures 10 and 11 of the axlemember, and may have slidable movements therein, its slot 21 receiving the bolt 15.

Numeral 24 indicates an extension for the standard, preferably formed as an elongated cap, rectangular in plan, its top being provided witha swivel 25. It is provided on its rear side with a pair of arms 26 for a pivotal mounting of the pawl, an aperture 27 (Fig. 1.) being provided so that the pawl may engage the teeth 18 of the standard.

Numeral 28 indicates an operating-bar having a rectilinear part midway between its ends disposed in the plane of the rearwardly converging arms 12, and provided at its front end with a wedge-member (Z, the rear end of said bar havingan upwardly projecting part c for a pivotal mounting at 29 upon the hand-lever 30, said hand-lever being of angular form and having its pivotal mounting upon the rearwardly projecting arms or frame, as indicated at 31.

In operation, the lever 30 is swung forwardly to the position shown in Fig. 2, the wedge member d being disposed forwardly of the roller 16, the standard being disposed in the lowermost position; an adjustment of the extension-cap 24 is then made so that its swivel will be disposed below and closely adjacent to the axle or other object to be elevated, this adjustment of the cap being lonmaintaining the cap in its extended position.

The operator, to elevate the load, then swings the hand-lever rearwardly to the position shown in Fig. 1, the distance of the upward vertical movement of the standard depending upon the degree of inclination for the contact-faces of the wedge-member.

The upward sliding movement of the standard by the means described will be practically free from vibration, the rollers 16 and 22 being in constant engagement with the wedge member during operation. Numeral 32 indicates a recess formed in the upper part of the wedge member near its part of greatest divergence for receiving the roller 22 so that the standard and load will be maintained in an elevated position. Numeral 33 indicates the lug for convenient control of the pawl. When an operator swings the lever 30 for moving the wedgemember rea-rwardly against the weight of the load he places his foot upon the arcuate member Z) to prevent a rearward movement of the roller jack.

It will be noted that on account of the downward inclination f of the operating bar, adjacent to the wedge-member, in combination with the downwardly inclined part c of said bar at its rear end, the intermediate, rectilinear part of said bar will be disposed in the plane of the arms or frame 12, closely adjacent to the floor this, obviously, being a feature of advantage. Also another feature of advantage is that, by the construction described, the center of gravity of all operat ing parts is located near the floor.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1. In a roller jack, an axle having wheels journaled thereon and provided between its ends with-a roller, a standard on the axle and provided with a slot opening on its lower end, a roller having journaled bearings in the standard and disposed in said slot, a Wedge-member provided with a recess,

said wedge-member being movable to cause its engagement with the rollers of the axle and standard and to permit one of said roll.- ers to engage in its recess.

2. In a'roller jack, an axle having wheels journaled thereon and formed with a recti linear aperture opening on its top and bottom, a rearwardly projecting frame rigid with the axle, a roller having journaled hearings in the axle and disposed in said aperture, a standard disposed in the aperture of the axle and having a slot opening on its lower end adapted to receive the roller of said axle, a roller having journaled bearings in the standard and disposed in said slot above the roller of sand axle, a. movable its longitudinal axis hand-lever on the frame, and a wedge-member connected with the handlever, said wedge-member being movable between said rollers by a movement of the hand-lever for moving the standard outwardly from the axle.

3. In a roller jack, an axle having a rearwardly projecting frame and provided rear wardly of its longitudinal axis with an aperture opening on its top and bottom, a roller having journaled' hearings in the axle and disposed in said aperture, wheels journaled on the axle, a standard disposed in the aperture of the axle and having a the roller of said axle, naled'bearin in the slot tiereof, a hand-lever mounted on the frame, an operating-bar connected with the hand-lever, said operating bar hav ing a part interposed'between said rollers and also having a wedge-sha ed part normally disposed forwardly- 0 said. rollers, said hand lever being adapted to have aswinging movement to dispose the wedgea roller having jourshaped part of said bar between the rollers for moving the standard outwardly from the axle.

4:. Aroller jack including axle having a horizontal aperture and provided with a:

the, roller of said axle, a roller having journaled bearings and disposed in said slot,

an operating-bar between said rollers traversing the apertures of the standard, said bar being provided with a wedgeqnember normally disposed forwardly of said rollers and being movable for moving the wedge-member between said rollers to move the standard outwardly from said axle. i

5. In a roller jack, an axlehaving a hori zontal aperture and provided rearwardly of with a vertical aperture intersecting its horizontal aperture, a roller having journaled hearings in the axle and disposed below the horizontal aperture in said vertical aperture, wheels journaled on the axle, a standard traversing the horizontal aperture and disposed in thever tical aperture of the axle and having roller of said.

a slot for receiving the axle, a roller havlng ournaled hearings in the standard and disposed in the.

slot thereof, an operating-bar traversing the apertures of the axle andthe slot offthe standard in engagement- Withsa-id rollers, said bar being provided with a wedge-memher and being movable for disposing the wedge-member between said rollers to move the standard outwardly from said axle.

s in the standard anddisposed of the axle and slot slot receiving 6. In a roller jack, an axle having a horizontal aperture and a vertical aperture intersecting its horizontal aperture, a roller having journaled bearings in the axle and disposed in said vertical aperture, wheels mounted on said axle, a frame rigidly connected at its inner end with said axle, its outer end being provided with a foot-piece, a hand-lever pivotally mounted upon the frame inwardly of the foot-piece, a caster mounted on the frame, a standard having a slot opening on its lower end and disposed in the apertures of the axle, a roller having journaled hearings in the standard and disposed in the slot of said standard, an open ating-bar pivotally mounted on the handlever and traversing the apertures of the axle and slot of the standard in engagement with said rollers and provided with a wedgemember normally disposed forwardly of the axle and having a recess opening on one of the faces of said wedge-member, said hand-lever being movable for causing the wedge-member to move rearwardly for moving the standard outwardly from the axle and to permit one of the rollers toengage in the recess of said wedge-member.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR C. HOPKINS.

Witnesses ARTHUR H. STURGES, HIRAM A. STURGES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. 

